Nestlé Pledges to Better Chicken Commitment

On 28/06/2018, Nestlé announced that it would adopt the Better Chicken Commitment, also known in Europe as the European Broiler Ask, across its European food business. The commitment covered chicken ingredients used in products from major Nestlé brands including Herta, Buitoni, Wagner, and Maggi, with the company setting a target to complete the transition by 2026. The policy aimed to improve welfare conditions for millions of chickens raised within Nestlé’s European supply chain. According to Nestlé, the transition would include measures such as reducing stocking density, improving lighting and environmental enrichment in poultry housing, and moving toward slower-growing chicken breeds. The company also committed to more humane slaughter methods and stronger welfare monitoring practices aligned with standards promoted by animal welfare organizations including Compassion in World Farming. Nestlé stated that all food products in Europe containing chicken ingredients would eventually meet the higher welfare framework established under the European Broiler Ask. Marco Settembri, CEO of Nestlé Zone Europe, Middle East and North Africa at the time, said consumers increasingly wanted transparency about food sourcing and production methods. Nestlé explained that implementation would happen gradually in cooperation with suppliers and farmers because some changes, particularly lower stocking densities and breed transitions, required long-term investment and operational adjustments. The company’s chilled meat brand Herta began introducing sourcing changes from 01/01/2019 under its French “Préférence” programme. Industry reports published at the time noted that Nestlé used approximately 10,000 tonnes of chicken ingredients annually across its European operations. Animal welfare groups welcomed the announcement, viewing it as part of a wider movement among European food companies to adopt higher welfare poultry standards. The Better Chicken Commitment framework had been developed through collaboration between animal protection organizations, scientists, and food industry stakeholders to address issues linked to intensive broiler chicken production. The announcement also followed earlier Nestlé animal welfare initiatives, including its global commitment to source only cage free eggs by 2025 and a similar broiler welfare pledge for its United States operations announced in 2017. In July 2018, Nestlé further expanded its involvement in animal welfare efforts by becoming a founding member of the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare, a multi-company initiative focused on advancing welfare standards throughout global food supply chains. Why This Moment Matters Nestlé’s 2018 pledge reflected how animal welfare standards were becoming a larger part of sourcing policies among multinational food manufacturers. Because of Nestlé’s scale across Europe, the commitment placed additional pressure on poultry suppliers and competitors to consider similar welfare benchmarks ahead of the sector-wide 2026 targets.